Mad Men Style Report Card, S7E3

Last night'sMad Men saw us slowly inching closer to full-blown 70s swagger, with colorful sweaters, loud sport coats, and big neckwear. Granted, the characters might as well have been wearing funeral black, with all the salty attitudes going around. As Don Draper made an attempt to return to the agency that kicked him to the curb (I'm sorry, "put him on leave"), everyone else looked to out-sourpuss each other as if they were competing for World's Most Insufferable Person. As it turns out, style doesn't always mix well with pent-up aggression.

Below, we grade the best and worst men's clothing options from last night's Mad Men. (Minor spoilers follow.)

Roger Sterling

If you needed further proof that Roger's life has veered off into the avant-garde, then feast your eyes on this red plaid smoking jacket—worn with a pocket square, no less. Pair this with an undone white button-up, and Sterling just earned himself the title of this week's MVP. Mind you, this isn't the best outfit of the episode. The reason Roger's getting the award is for choosing to wear something this damn bold with a completely straight face. Nice work.

Grade: A

Don Draper

Though I prefer not to evaluate someone's clothing options while they're sitting down in a dark movie theater, from this angle, Don's dark blue sweater, with the sky-blue side stripes looks too damn good to ignore. But take a long hard look, folks. With his return to the agency, we will likely be saying goodbye to this more relaxed version of Don, which means no more casual, tie-less outfits. It's a damn shame, really. This look piques our interest as to what other dressed-down gems he has in his closet.

Grade: B-

Harry Crane

Oh look! This season's first appearance from SCDP's media maven Harry Crane, sporting some extremely long, unkempt sideburns. Trim 'em down, Harry! As for his clothing options, the black-and-white checkered sport jacket is better suited for a dinner party than an advertising agency, but Harry manages to pull it off. Though, I am not sure matching it with a dark tie with blue and orange accents works to his advantage.

Grade: C+

Lou Avery

Lou stepped up his style game a bit this week by wearing a dark, striped thin tie, along with ... what's that? Is that a tie bar? I mean, I assumed Lou owned one I just never would have predicted he'd wear it to the office. Then again, a tie bar is only going to get you so far when you insist on wearing pale green sweaters and those glasses.

Grade: C-

Michael Ginsberg and Stan Rizzo

Mad Men's style odd couple. I would like to see a spin-off show with these two guys. Anyway, let's start with Michael Ginsberg, who seems to have selected a polka-dot dress shirt straight from his grandmother's closet. It's billowy, it's ill fitting, and it's downright ugly. Plus, the front pocket droops. Throw in a faded red floral tie and you have an outfit that's in the running for worst of the season. Sorry, Gins.

Grade: D-

As for Stan, he's rocking a tan coat with a pair of khakis and a giant belt buckle. Honestly, if it weren't for that blue, red and orange striped button-down, I'd say he was about to go on a safari or a hunting trip (without Ken Cosgrove, I hope). Underneath that shirt is a thick, red turtleneck sweater––similar to the style he was wearing on last week's episode. Add in the unruly beard and the gigantic watch, and you have an odd, mismatched outfit. This is an uninspired choice for someone known for his loud colorful options.

Grade: C+

Alan Silver

Hey, it's our style MVP from episode one, Alan Silver! And he did not disappoint this week, with an outfit as outgoing as his personality: a striped yellow shirt, tan vest, and multi-patterned tie. Despite making only two brief appearances this season, Alan has arguably managed to out-dress almost everyone on the program. At the very least, no one is doing accessories better than him. Check out the studded cufflinks, gold wristwatch, and clear eyeglasses. It's all very loud, but Alan pulls it off nicely.

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